


Thrown Into The Past

by zizzlekwum



Series: In The MCU [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Aspergers!reader, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Feels, Grief, HYDRA sucks, How Do I Tag, Hydra (Marvel), Hydra can suck a dick, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, I've had this idea in my head for ages, Idiots in Love, It's Not Really Important, Lots of Angst, Masshole!reader, Not beta-read, Not porn, Protective Bucky Barnes, Self-Indulgent, Shamelessly self-indulgent, So much angst, Some Cursing, We Die Like Men, Will add more tags as I go, all the feels, also i curse a lot, bad language words, because I started writing this for myself, because why not, but now I finally decided to actually, but then decided to publish it, don't think too hard about the conditions of waking up in the past, fangirl!reader, fuck hydra, it doesn't have to make that much sense, just small details, like the backpack and the phone and the laptop, not stucky, not yet anyway, put it in writing, so it's obviously gonna be in my writing, some lines taken directly from the movie, you know, your name is Sam Murphy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:54:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22672108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zizzlekwum/pseuds/zizzlekwum
Summary: You wake up in the 1940s in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, just in time for the events of Captain America: The First Avenger.Well, shit. What are you supposed to do, now?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers & Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers & Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers & Reader
Series: In The MCU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1631002
Comments: 23
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins....

The only thing out of the ordinary that happened when I fell asleep was that I was dressed and sitting on the couch with my backpack on, waiting for the rest of my family to be ready to leave. I had stayed up until the early hours of the morning watching old episodes of my favorite TV shows before I had finally fallen asleep, but I had to wake up early that morning to leave for camping.

The problem was, I woke up in a different place, in a different year, in a different universe.

I was pulled from the water by Howard Stark, who gave me CPR until I woke up, spluttering and coughing up water. I could try to explain my shock and confusion upon realizing that I was no longer in my bed but soaking wet and lying by the side of a pond in 1936, but I’ve yet to be able to find the words to even begin to accurately describe it.

It took some convincing, but eventually even Howard couldn’t deny that I knew things no one should be able to know, and he finally accepted my explanation, that I was from another universe over seventy years in the future (it probably helped that I had my backpack on when I was pulled from the water, and that the waterproofing I had spent extra money on had protected everything inside from water damage, including my phone and laptop, which I showed to Howard as further proof). He was extremely curious how it happened, and wanted to keep an eye on me; I agreed, not having anywhere else to go, on two conditions: that I would be the second test subject for a single experiment of my choosing, and that I would be allowed to live in Brooklyn, New York, planning on introducing myself to Steve Rogers, the future Captain America. Howard agreed.

Steve and I became fast friends, especially since most of the guys who beat him up would run after I threw my first punch. One day, not long after Steve and I had met, his best friend, Bucky, showed up in time to see me slam my fist into the face of a guy who had tried to beat Steve up. He helped me improve my technique, and that was all it took for us to become as close as Steve and I were.

The years passed, and I anxiously awaited the start of World War II, knowing what was going to happen to both Steve and Bucky. I’ve tried to prepare myself for seeing it first-hand, but now it’s starting, and I find myself more worried than ever.

* * *

I wake up from a deep sleep moaning in agony, holding my head as I deal with the worst headache I’ve ever had. I blink hard, trying to clear my vision, when I realize I’m not having trouble seeing, but I’m seeing two places at once.

I groan as I see a man, cloaked in shadows, running along a cobblestone street. Gunfire sounds in the background, muffled by distance. He slams through the wooden doors of a church, closing them behind him, and yells something in another language.

On the other side of the room, another man hurriedly makes his way down a stone staircase, replying in the same language The first man places a board through the handles of the doors in an attempt to prevent them from being opened as he says something to the second man. The second man nods at him and tells him something, still in another language.

Suddenly, both men look up as the walls begin to rumble and shake. The metal chandelier of candles, hanging above them, rattles loudly. Suddenly, the rumbling stops, and both men cautiously back away from the doors just before something comes crashing through them. The stones creating the doorway come crashing to the floor, and my head feels like it’s about to split in two.

“Sam!” Steve’s worried voice comes from the doorway— _my_ doorway— and he rushes over to where I’m hunched over on my bed, moaning.

“Shh!” I tell him, fighting the nausea threatening to empty my stomach, needing to know what the hell is going on. “I’ll… explain later….”

I see the first man fall as part of the doorway falls on his legs, collapsing him. He cries out as he hits the ground. The second man shields his face as the dust settles, revealing the arm of an excavator pulling away, the operator apparently satisfied with the destruction of the doorway. The second man bends down and removes a stone from the first man’s face, revealing his unmoving head; he’s clearly dead.

“Sam, what’s goi—”

“ _Steve, please!_ ” I beg, tears streaming down my face as I fight the pain. “Give me a… second!”

Refocusing on… whatever this is, I see the excavator’s wheels pull forward, driving it into the church and revealing a car driving up behind it. I gasp when I see the symbol for HYDRA on it, everything beginning to make sense.

I groan and squeeze my eyes shut, using all my strength to focus on myself, trying to pull myself out of the vision, sighing when my splitting headache fades away, along with the other sounds. I lie curled in a ball on my bed, panting, and slowly open my eyes again, sighing in relief when I’m not dragged back in.

I focus on Steve’s frantic face as he puts a hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay? What happened?! I heard you yell and I came running and found you like that!”

I sit up slowly, rubbing my eyes. “Um….” I falter, not entirely sure how I'm supposed to explain this. Yes, he knows I'm from another universe in the future, but even I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I can somehow see a scene from the movie when I'm on the other side of the freaking world. “You know what, do me a favor and call Howard Stark and tell him to meet us here,” I tell Steve, struggling against the lingering nausea. “Tell him it’s urgent, and about me being here, in this universe. When he gets here, I’ll do my best to explain, but for now, I think I’m going to throw up.” I leap to my feet and ran to the bathroom, my knees slamming to the floor just in time for me to empty my stomach into the toilet. I groan, squeezing my eyes shut as I come to two realizations.

One, somehow, things just got even _more_ complicated than they already were.

And two, the events of the first Captain America movie have just started.

* * *

Over a year later, after his fifth attempt to join the army fails, Steve and I decide to go see a movie. I’m already on edge as we take our seats, remembering that this is another one of the first scenes of the first Captain America movie.

“Steve,” I whisper as the commercial about the war begins playing. “Please just don’t say anything.”

He gives me a confused look, opening his mouth to question me, but doesn’t get the chance to say anything before someone else in the theater yells.

“Who cares! Play the movie already!”

Steve’s eyes widen slightly in understanding before his face hardens as he turns toward the direction of the loud-mouthed douchebag’s voice. “Hey, you wanna show some respect?”

Knowing Steve won’t back down, I shake my head and smile, watching the commercial and waiting for what I know comes next.

“Let’s go! Get on with it! Just start the cartoon already!” the guy yells again.

“Hey buddy, you wanna shut up?” Steve says, louder this time. Watching the asshole in front of us stand and turn toward Steve, glaring, I sigh and prepare myself to defend my friend again. Knowing from experience that Steve would object if I tried to step in before he had already taken a couple hits, I follow behind them, just observing for now.

When we get outside, I see Asshole throw a punch at Steve, knocking him to the ground.

“Hey!” I shout. “Leave him alone!”

Steve fumbles with the lid of the garbage can he was knocked into and jumps back to his feet, attempting to use the lid as a shield. Asshole doesn’t even give me a second glance as he rips the garbage can lid from Steve’s hand and slams his fist into Steve’s face again.

I position myself between Steve and Asshole, silently willing him to just try to hit me. He takes the bait and throws a punch in my direction. I easily dodge, landing a punch to his jaw, but he’s much larger than my average 5’5” frame and hardly flinches.

He holds out his hands in a “so what?” gesture. “You just don’t know when to give up, do ya?”

I smirk, raising my eyebrow, mouthing along as Steve’s voice comes from behind me: “I could do this all day.” I ready myself to dodge Asshole’s next attack when I see Bucky come up behind him.

“Hey!” Bucky shouts, grabbing Asshole’s arm and shoving him away from Steve and me. “Pick on someone your own size!” I smirk as Asshole throws a punch that Bucky dodges easily before getting in a punch of his own, sending Asshole staggering. Bucky literally kicks him in the ass and sends him on his way.

“Oh, man, seeing that in person is _so_ much better than watching the movie!” I exclaim, grinning as I turn to inspect Steve, making sure he’s okay. I offer my hand and help pull him to his feet.

“You okay, nerd?” Bucky asks me.

I nod. “I’m good.”

Turning his attention to Steve, Bucky raises his eyebrows. “Sometimes, I think you _like_ getting beat up.”

“I had him on the ropes,” Steve says immediately, groaning a little. My lips twitch upwards.

Noticing Steve’s newest rejection papers on the ground, Bucky picks them up to examine them. “How many times is this?”

“Five,” I tell him, nudging his arm with a grin. “But who’s counting?”

“Oh, you’re from Paramus now?” Bucky reads, raising an eyebrow. “You know, it’s illegal to lie on the enlistment form. And seriously, Jersey?” I snicker.

“You get your orders?” Steve asks, noticing Bucky wearing his army dress clothes and purposely ignoring his last statement.

Bucky stands straighter. “The one-oh-seventh. Sergeant James Barnes, shipping out for England first thing tomorrow.”

Steve shakes his head, looking at the ground. “I should be going.”

Bucky just stares at him for a second before giving a small laugh. “Come on, guys,” he says, throwing an arm around both of us. “My last night! Gotta get you cleaned up.”

Steve looks up at Bucky. “Why? Where we going?”

Bucky grins. “The future.” He removes his arm from Steve’s shoulders to remove a newspaper from his pocket, handing it to Steve. Craning my neck around Bucky, I see the ad for the World Exposition of Tomorrow.

“Hey Sam, isn’t Howard Stark going to be there?” Steve asks, looking over at me.

I nod. “Of course! Which is why we definitely can’t miss it!” I add, grinning. Bucky just laughs.

* * *

Later that night, as we arrive at the World Exposition, Steve is complaining about not being allowed to enlist in the army.

“I don’t see what the problem is, man,” Bucky tells him. “You’re about to be the last eligible man in New York.”

I nod, elbowing Steve in the side. “You know, Steve, there’s three and a half million women in the city!”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Well, I’d settle for just one.”

Bucky smiles. “Good thing I took care of that!” he says, waving at two girls in front of us.

The girl on the right waves back. “Hey Bucky!”

“What’d you tell her about me?” Steve doesn’t look impressed.

Bucky’s laughter joins my own. “Only the good stuff,” he promises, smirking. He holds out an arm for the girl with the dark hair. The blonde stays by their side as Steve and I trail behind.

Steve notices me wringing my hands. “A little loud, huh?”

I nod, glancing around us. “And a lot of people.” It’s times like this where I wish I had a way to listen to the music on my iPod without people seeing my headphones and noticing that they’re clearly futuristic.

“You okay?” he asks, concerned. “Need to leave?”

I shake my head. “Nah, I’m good. I’m used to it by now. I’ve had twenty-seven years to learn how to cope.”

He frowns. “It’s because of… wait, what’s it called again?”

“Autism,” I answer. A little while after I met Steve and Bucky, I had told them about autism, since it’s not well-known in the 40s. I explained how I have trouble making eye contact and I can’t really read social cues or pick up on someone’s facial expressions or tone of voice. Technically, I was diagnosed with Asperger’s, but seeing as it was named after the German who created the diagnosis and the country is currently at war with Germany, I tend to avoid saying it in public.

Ahead of us, music starts playing and people start clapping. The brunette on Bucky’s arm cranes her neck to see what’s happening. “Oh my God, it’s starting! Come on!” She pulls on Bucky’s arm. Steve and I follow them to the stage, where Howard is being announced. He enters from the side of the stage, tipping his hat and spinning around theatrically. He hands his hat to the announcer before kissing her, causing me to chuckle.

Taking the microphone from the announcer, he takes a few steps back to stand beside the shiny red car on stage. “Ladies and gentlemen, what if I told you that in just a few short years, your automobile won’t even have to touch the ground at all?” The cheers from the crowd surrounding me get louder as the women on stage remove the wheels of the car. I bite back a laugh, knowing we won’t have flying cars even seventy years from now.

Elbowing Bucky lightly, I lean closer so he can hear me. “Dude, watch this. It’s gonna be hilarious!” I tell him, laughing. He grins, turning his attention back to the stage.

Howard thanks the women before turning back to address the crowd. “With Stark robotic reversion technology, you’ll be able to do just that.” He flips a switch on the panel next to the car and steps back to watch. The audience gasps as the car slowly begins to hover above the ground.

Bucky stares at it in wonder. “Holy cow.”

I snicker. “Just wait for it,” I say, folding my arms across my chest and leaning back on my heels.

Suddenly, sparks shoot from the robotic tires and the car crashes back down to the ground. I hide my laughter behind a cough as the crowd starts to applaud tentatively.

Howard just shrugs, smiling. “I did say a few years, didn’t I?” The applause gets louder.

I notice Steve wandering off and follow, hurrying to his side.

“So,” I say, giving him a knowing smile, “where are we off to, now?”

He smiles sheepishly. “Where do you think?”

Laughing, I clap a hand on his shoulder and squeeze. “Obviously, we’re trying for number six,” I tell him as we approach the Army Recruitment building.

He laughs, shaking his head. “Or number one,” he suggests.

I hold back another laugh, knowing how right he is, but I simply say, “We’ll see,” as I follow him up the steps. We approach a poster of some soldiers saluting. The face of the soldier in front is replaced by a mirror. A tall man steps up and lines up his face with the mirror. The girl with him giggles and pulls him away by the arm. “Come on, soldier,” she says, smiling.

Steve steps up after the other guy walks away, but the top of his head barely reaches halfway up the mirror, even as he stands on his toes. A hand claps me on the shoulder.

I spin around to see Bucky as he pats Steve’s arm. “Come on,” he says with a smile. “You’re kinda missing the point of tonight. We’re taking the girls dancing!”

Steve turns around and nods at him. “You go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.”

Bucky sighs, shaking his head. “You really gonna do this again?”

Steve shrugs. “It’s a fair. Figured I’d try my luck.”

Bucky frowns. “Where are you going to say you’re from now?”

I grin. “You could try Steve from Massachusetts this time,” I suggest. “I grew up there— I could tell you everything you need to know!”

Bucky shakes his head, rubbing a hand over his neck. “They’ll catch you. Or worse, they’ll actually take you, and then what?”

Sighing, Steve looks at his best friend. “Look, I know you don’t think I can do this—”

“This isn’t a back alley, Steve! It’s war!”

“I know it’s war!” Steve exclaims. “You don’t have to tell me.”

“Why are you so anxious to fight?” Bucky continues. “There are so many important jobs.”

Steve scoffs. “What am I supposed to do, collect scrap metal—”

“ _Yes!_ ” Bucky interjects

“—in my little red wagon?” Steve continues, ignoring Bucky.

“Why not?”

Steve sighs. “I’m not just gonna sit in a factory, Bucky!”

“I don’t—”

“Bucky, come on!” Steve doesn’t let him finish his sentence. “There are men laying down their lives, and I got no right to do any less than them. You don’t get it, this isn’t about me.”

“Yeah, ‘cause you got nothing to prove.” Bucky turns to me. “You gonna just stand there and watch, or you gonna help me out?”

I give him a small smile, shaking my head. “Oh no, I’m not saying anything about this one,” I tell him. “You’re leaving tomorrow, but if I tell him no, I’ll never hear the end of it!” Out of fear of changing the future, I neglect to mention that I know for a fact Steve is doing the right thing.

Bucky sighs, turning back to Steve. “I just—”

“Hey Sarge!” one of the girls calls out to Bucky from behind us. “Are we going dancing?”

Bucky puts on a smile, turning toward the girls. “Yes we are!” he says, holding out his hands. He turns back to Steve. “You. Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.”

“How can I?” Steve retorts. “You’re taking all the stupid with you.”

Bucky shakes his head, smiling as he pulls Steve in for a hug. “You’re a punk.”

“Jerk.” Steve hugs him back. “Be careful.”

Bucky turns to me and pulls me in for a hug. “Do me a favor and try to keep him out of trouble, will ya?”

I wrap my arms around him and squeeze. “You know as well as I do that no one can make Steve Rogers do anything,” I tell him, smirking as he takes a step back.

He chuckles. “Don’t I know it. See ya later, nerd.” He turns to walk away.

“Don’t win the war until I get there!” Steve calls after him.

Bucky turns and gives a salute before continuing to walk over to the girls, putting his arms around them both. “Come on, girls. They’re playing our song.”

Steve turns to me. “Aren’t you gonna go with ‘em?” he asks.

I smile. “Nah,” I tell him. “I’ll just wait here for you instead.”

“See you on the other side,” he says, turning to walk toward the exam room.

I give him a little wave. “Good luck!”

I notice Dr. Erskine watching as Steve walks past. I approach him with a smile, having already become well-acquainted with him through Howard Stark. “Trust your gut on this guy, Doc,” I tell him, watching proudly as Steve turns the corner. “You can’t get better than this one.”

He nods. “So I’ve gathered.” He turns to me with a raised eyebrow. “Would you like to come with me for the interview?”

“Definitely,” I tell him. “But I’ll wait outside the room until you tell him. Don’t want to make him any more nervous.”

He nods, gesturing for me to follow him. He leads me to the the room where Steve is sitting on an exam table, and I wait behind the curtain.

“Call me in once he knows,” I whisper. “Just in case I can’t hear.”

“Of course,” he says in a smile, entering the room. “So, you want to go overseas. Kill some Nazis, hm?” I hear him say to Steve.

“Excuse me?” Steve asks, and I can hear the confusion in his voice.

“Dr. Abraham Erskine,” the doctor says. "I represent the Strategic Scientific Reserve.”

“Steve Rogers.” A pause, as I hear the shuffling of some papers, and then: “Where are you from?”

“Queens,” the doctor replies. “73rd Street and Utopia Parkway. Before that, Germany. This troubles you?”

Steve is quick to answer. “No”

“Where are _you_ from, Mr. Rogers?” the doctor asks. “Is it New Haven? Or Paramus?” I hear another page turn. “Five exams in five different cities.”

“That might not be the right file,” Steve says quickly, a little louder than normal.

“No, it’s not the exams I’m interested in, Mr. Rogers. It’s the five tries.” More paper rustling. “But you didn’t answer my question. Do you want to kill Nazis?”

I can almost _feel_ Steve’s hesitation. “Is… is this a test?”

“Yes,” the doctor says simply.

Steve sighs. “I don’t want to kill anyone. I just don’t like bullies. Doesn’t matter where they’re from.”

“Well, there are already so many big men fighting this war,” the doctor tells him. “Perhaps what we need now is the little guy, eh?” He pauses. “I can offer you a chance.” He slides the curtains open and nods to me with a smile, prompting me to join him. Steve looks at me in surprise, but Dr. Erskine continues talking. “Only a chance.”

Steve looks from me to Dr. Erskine for a moment in shock before replying excitedly, “I’ll take it!”

“Good,” the doctor says, opening Steve’s file on the counter. “So, where is the little guy from, really?”

“Brooklyn,” Steve replies.

Erskine stamps Steve’s form and hands it to Steve. “Congratulations, soldier.”

I smile, clapping Steve on the shoulder as he opens his form and sees that he’s been accepted. “This calls for a celebration!”

He laughs. “Oh yeah? And what do you suggest?”

“Duh,” I tell him, rolling my eyes with a grin. “Ice cream sundaes?”

Laughing, he and I walk out the door.

I double over, grunting as I’m hit with another vision.

Steve puts his arm on my shoulder. “Are you okay? Is it another one?”

Concentrating, I pull my focus back to my own body with a gasp, straightening. “Yeah,” I say, wincing. “But I’m good.”

Steve frowns. “That hasn’t happened in over a year,” he notes, concerned. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Nodding, I give him a smile. “It’ll probably happen more often now that things are starting to pick up,” I warn him, “but it’s nothing I can’t handle. Now, I believe we were on our way to get some ice cream?”

He shakes his head. “Come on, then.”

As we continue walking out into the street, I fight to calm my nerves, and all I can think is, _this is it._

_It’s starting._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your name is Samantha "Sam" Murphy because I started writing this for myself before I decided to publish it and didn't feel like changing it because I'm lazy and also this is almost-purely self-indulgent.
> 
> Also, some lines are taken directly from the movie.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We arrive at Camp Lehigh and get to spend some time with Peggy Carter while she assesses our skills.

When Steve and I arrive at Camp Lehigh, I’m pulled away from him and brought to wait in an administrative tent. I fiddle with my hands nervously as I wait, sinking down into a chair.

“So, you’re finally here,” Peggy Carter says as she walks in.

Smiling, I rise to my feet. “Peggy!”

Ever since Howard started working on the super-soldier serum, I’ve become acquainted with the key players of the project, including Dr. Erskine and Peggy Carter. While I haven’t seen her much in person due to her responsibilities with the war, we often wrote letters to each other, and she’s become a close friend.

She stops in front of me and gives me a once-over, her lips twitching upwards as she notes the uniform pants I’m wearing rather than a skirt. “I feel I should be surprised that you managed to convince them to wear trousers, but given your circumstances, I’m fairly certain nothing about you can surprise me anymore.”

I laugh. “Peggy, the last time I wore a skirt was when I was fifteen, during my sophomore year of high school. After that, I wore jeans since I went to public school for my junior and senior year after we couldn’t afford the private school anymore.” I shake my head. “I have no doubt that you can kick ass in a skirt just as well as you can in pants, but I’m pretty sure wearing a skirt would mess me up,” I added.

Peggy grins. “Sometimes the skirt is better,” she tells me with a wink. “Men always underestimate what a woman can do.”

“Pretty sure people underestimating you is just a byproduct of being such a badass,” I point out as she gestures for me to follow her out of the tent. “But I can assure you, I would _never_ make the mistake of underestimating you. And anyone who does is a moron,” I add. “That could quite literally be deadly.”

“Being frequently underestimated can certainly be used to one’s advantage,” she admits with a small laugh. “I hope these men have been treating you with respect?”

I shrug. “They’ve been okay. I haven’t actually been here long. Been left to my own devices, for the most part.”

Nodding, she straightens as we approach a line of soldiers. A few of their heads turn to follow our movements as we approach, as if they’re not certain why two women are here (although, in their defense, I suppose it is a bit strange, especially in this age).

“Recruits, attention!” she calls as we approach. The soldiers straighten. “Gentlemen, I’m Agent Carter. I supervise all operations for this division.” My eyes land on Steve, who is watching intently. I give a quick nod.

“What’s with the accent, Queen Victoria?” I shift my focus over to one of the men to the left of Steve, narrowing my eyes as he smirks. “Thought I was signin’ up for the U.S. Army.”

Peggy comes to a stop in front of him and I fight back a laugh. “What’s your name, soldier?” she asks, her voice dangerously calm.

“Gilmore Hodge, your Majesty,” Hodge replies with a slight roll of his eyes.

“Step forward, Hodge,” Peggy orders. “Put your right foot forward.”

Hodge glances around at the soldiers next to him as he lazily steps toward Peggy, seeming proud of himself. “Mmm, we gonna wrassle?” he says, raising his eyebrows with a smirk. “I got a few moves I bet you’ll like.”

Without warning, Peggy slams her right fist into his face, knocking him to the ground. I make an attempt to hide my laughter behind a cough.

“Agent Carter!” a voice calls from behind us. Peggy and I turn to see Colonel Phillips walking up to us, Dr. Erskine and another man following behind him.

“Colonel Phillips.” Peggy greets him with a salute.

I follow suit. “Sir.”

“Murphy,” he says, nodding to me before turning his attention back to Peggy. “I can see you’re breaking in the candidates. Good!” He steps in front of where Hodge is still laying on the ground. “Get your ass up outta that dirt and stand in line at attention until somebody comes tells you what to do.”

Hodge climbs to his feet and stands much straighter than before, blood trickling out of his nose. “Yes, sir!”

Dr. Erskine stops beside Peggy, nodding at me in greeting. The second man stands to Erskine’s right as Phillips turns his attention away from Hodge and towards the rest of the soldiers. He begins to walk down the line and give each man a once-over, his hands clasped behind his back. “General Patton has said that wars are fought with weapons but they are won by men. We are going to win this war because we have the best… men.” He falters for a second when his attention lands on Steve. He shoots a glance at Erskine, who simply looks away. My lips twitch as I fight back a smile. “And because they’re gonna get better, much better. The Strategic Scientific Reserve is an Allied effort made up of the best minds in the free world. Our goal is to create the best army in history,” he explains. “But every army starts with one man.” He pauses for effect, eyeing each of the recruits in front of him. “At the end of this week, we will choose that man. He will be the first in a new breed of super soldiers.” His voice hardens. “A breed of super soldiers who will personally escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of Hell.”

Phillips turns to regard the man beside Erskine. “This is Sergeant Duffy,” he tells the recruits. “During this next week, he will push you past your breaking point in an attempt to make you into proper soldiers. Anyone who has any problems with that can get the hell outta here.” He glares at the soldiers as if daring them to object. He is met with silent looks of determination. He nods at Duffy. “Your move, Sergeant. Carter, Murphy, with me.”

Peggy and I follow as he begins walking away. Behind us, Sergeant Duffy’s voice begins giving orders. _Good luck, Steve,_ I think, as if willing my thoughts into his brain. _You got this._

Colonel Phillips glances at me. “Murphy, I understand you’ve been training over the past few months?”

When Howard started working on the super soldier serum and I told him that this was what I was going to be the second test subject for, I’ve had a strict training regimen to hone all of the necessary skills for war, including marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, stamina, strength, dexterity, stealth tactics, and knowledge of explosives.

I nod. “Yes, sir. I’ve greatly increased my stamina and strength, and have become accustomed to using many different weapons.”

He grunts in response. “We’ll see. Carter, you’re to thoroughly assess her proficiency in all fields and report back to me by the end of the day tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir,” Peggy responds.

“Dismissed,” Phillips says, walking away from us.

Peggy turns to me, raising an eyebrow. “I hope you’ve not been slacking.”

“Oh, please,” I scoff. “Like I’d give any of these boys a valid reason to look down on me.”

Her eyes dancing in amusement, Peggy nods in approval. “Good. Now, we’ll start your assessment at the shooting range.”

* * *

I perform well in all of my tests, and manage to only have one moment where my clumsiness shines through— during my last assessment, when I’m climbing the rope wall, my foot gets caught and I fall face-first into the ground.

Looking up at Peggy, I spit the dirt out of my mouth and shoot her a grin. “Did I ever tell you about that time I tripped and fell off of the altar during Easter mass while altar serving?” I ask her, fighting the urge to laugh at the memory. Climbing to my feet, I dust myself off.

Peggy’s lips twitch. “I don’t believe you have.”

I shake my head, smiling. “Okay, well, everyone was standing, lined up to get communion— I think I was nineteen at the time— and the incense being used for the special Easter mass started to bother me. I went to go get my inhaler from my mom, and you know how in some churches, there’s a couple steps up to the altar? Like, two-to-three feet off the ground? Well, I was at the top step, about to step down, when my foot got caught on my robe and I fell face-first into the tile floor below, and let me tell you, if you didn’t see it, you _definitely_ heard it when I smacked into the floor. I laid there for a minute, not moving, and contemplated if I should just pretend I passed out, but then I decided against it and slowly dragged myself to my feet. I met my mom’s eyes and started laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.” I laugh at the memory. “God, I had to avoid looking at my mom for the rest of mass because every time we made eye contact I would just lose it all over again— and I mean, I was on the altar, I couldn’t be breaking out into laughter every five seconds! After mass, I lost count of how many people came up to me to ask if I was okay.”

Frowning, my smile fades and I look away from Peggy and out at the trees in the distance. “My mom would get a kick out of this whole thing,” I say, gesturing around me. “You know, me ending up in this universe? God knows I drove her crazy talking about it so much.” I sigh. “She was always telling me to go out and live my life instead of living in fiction. I’m completely certain this isn’t what she had in mind, but I like to imagine she’d be proud of me, especially with how active I’ve gotten.”

“You performed exceptionally well,” Peggy notes, nodding. “Aside from that fall, of course.”

“Honestly, I’m surprised I only tripped once,” I admit with a chuckle, beginning to make my way back to the administrative tents. Then I stop, grabbing Peggy’s arm and turning her toward me. “Do… do you think they’re okay?” I ask quietly, trying to ignore the growing lump in my throat. “My family? My— my mom?”

She puts her hand over mine, looking at me with a sad look in her eyes. “I….” Her voice trails off as she searches for an answer. She sighs. “Whatever happens,” she says finally, “if they knew what you’ve been doing, I’m sure they would be just as proud as I am of how far you’ve come.”

It’s not an answer, but then again, I don’t have one, either. It does make me feel a little better, though, which is more than I can say for all the other things I’ve told myself over the years since I’ve gotten here. “Thanks,” I say, giving her a small smile. “And just so you know, as much as I miss them, I… I’m really glad I got to meet you.”

She smiles, squeezing my hand before letting hers drop back to her side. “I’m glad I met you, too. You definitely make life more interesting.”

A laugh forces its way out of my chest. “That’s one way of looking at this, I guess,” I joke.

“What can I say?” She shrugs. “I’ve always liked adventure.”

“Well, you’re definitely in the right place for adventure,” I say. “I’m kinda following it, actually.”

“Yes, I’ve been getting that impression from you.” We begin walking toward the tents again. “Are you ready for the procedure?” she asks. “Only a few days left.”

“Peggy, I’ve been ready ever since I got here,” I tell her, completely serious. “There are some events that are going to happen, and I will be in a much better position to ensure a good outcome if I am… _enhanced_.”

Peggy glances over at me. “I suppose you’re still not going to tell me what these “events” are?”

Shaking my head, I clasp my hands behind my back. “Nope. Can’t risk it,” I say. “I figure my best chance at changing things for the better is if everyone’s reactions are the same, that way I know what to expect and how to counteract what I need to.” I chew on my bottom lip thoughtfully, my mind beginning to consider yet again the potential ramifications of making anyone else aware.

She sighs. “I suspected as much. Just know I’m here if you ever need advice.”

“And I appreciate that,” I tell her, nodding. “Really.”

“Now, we really should report back to Colonel Phillips, since you’ve completed the final assessment,” Peggy says, beginning to walk towards the administrative tents again.

I follow after her. “Wonder what he’ll say when he finds out I did so well,” I say.

Peggy smiles. “Not much, I’d imagine. He was never keen on you being here, and he doesn’t like it when he’s proven wrong.”

“God, I wish I could record his face,” I say, chuckling.

She laughs. “Don’t worry. If you ever forget, I’ll be certain to remind you in great detail.”

“I would expect nothing less,” I reply, winking at her, and we soon fall into a comfortable silence.

* * *

To my disappointment, Colonel Phillips doesn’t really react at all to the news of my excellent performance other than a slight nod. I’m hoping for even a slight twitch of his eye, but nothing. I’m then dismissed while Peggy remains behind to discuss other matters.

I make my way back to my quarters, finding myself again thinking of my family. Normally when I’m feeling sad or lonely, I go to Steve and Bucky to help me out of my funk, but I don’t want to distract Steve, especially given it’s only his first full day of training. Since Bucky is now on the other side of the world, I decide to write him a letter. When I get to my quarters, I take a notebook and a pen out of the small bag I brought with me and sit down on the lumpy mattress, beginning to write.

_Wednesday, June 16, 1943_

_Bucky:_

_Well, Steve did it. He joined the army. Also, I can finally tell you: you know how I’ve been training? That’s because I’ve also joined the army. Steve and I arrived at Camp Lehigh yesterday. Steve has been training, and I just finished up my assessment in just about every war-related skill imaginable. Luckily, it seems like my training has paid off, and I’m confident in my performance. I didn’t even make a fool out of myself like the klutz that I am, except for the very last one, when my foot got caught in the rope wall and I face planted into the ground. I got a good laugh out of it, but it reminded me of that time I tripped off of the altar at church (I’m, like, 98% sure I’ve told you this story, but in the unlikely event that you have no idea what I’m talking about, let me know). I shared the story with Agent Carter, a friend who also happened to be the one assessing me, but then I made myself sad because I was thinking about my family._

_It’s been seven years now since I last saw them, and while that’s a lot of time to adjust, I’m not sure someone can ever truly “get over” never seeing their family or friends or anyone and everyone they’ve ever known. I just really miss them, you know? Anyway, after I told Peggy the story, I got to thinking about my family. My mom, to be more specific. She was always saying how I should get out and live my life in the real world instead of obsessing over fictional characters, and I wonder what she’d think to see how far I’ve come in the past few years (and if she would appreciate the irony that “fictional characters” are the only people around me, now). I really wish I could see her now. There are some events that I know are going to occur soon that make me nervous (and no, I still can’t tell you about them), and she always knew just what to say to make me feel better._

_Wherever she is, I just hope that, somehow, she isn’t missing me. I think that’s what bothers me the most, even more than missing them, the fact that they might be missing me, too. I hate the thought of causing pain to the people I love._

_Sorry, this is starting to get wicked depressing and you’re literally fighting a war. Honestly, I wasn’t planning to write to you so soon after you’ve left, but I had a rough time today and you and Steve are the only ones I would talk to about it, except I don’t want to bother Steve while he’s training, so I figured I’d just go ahead and write to you. Let me think, what’s something more positive for you to think about? Tell you what, next time you, Steve, and I are all together, I’m buying each of us an ice cream sundae. Can’t go wrong with ice cream, right?_

_Stay safe, and kick lots of ass!_

_-Sam_

After rereading it quickly to make sure I didn’t forget a word anywhere, I fold it up and slip it into one of the envelopes I brought with me just for this. I’m about to go put it with all the other outgoing mail, but then I decide to just give it to Peggy later; she can get it to Howard, and I trust him to make sure the letter gets to Bucky in a timely manner. Laying back on my bed, I sigh and start to wonder what I’m going to do next. Colonel Phillips doesn’t seem keen to have me train with the other recruits, probably because I’m a girl, but I can’t exactly sit here and do nothing for a week. I contemplate going to find Peggy again and asking her, but then I figure I could do with a few minutes of alone time. Smiling to myself, I close my eyes and try to take a short nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, that story about tripping and falling off of the altar during Easter Mass is 100% true. Coincidentally, it was the last time I ever altar served. I still laugh about it every so often.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve goes through a week of training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I haven't updated in over two months, but with all this Corona shit I haven't had much time to write. I'm essential, and I have been working extra hours, and honestly, by the time I get home, my autistic ass is just BEAT. Seriously, I get home and take a three hour nap.
> 
> Anyway, this is slightly shorter than the previous chapters, but I just wanted to get this written out. Also there's not that much between the beginning of this chapter and when the next chapter starts, and the next chapter won't really work if they're combined, so. I would love to say I'm going to try to update more consistently, and I will certainly try, but with the way things are going, I can't make any promises. However, I CAN promise that it will be updated eventually.

I’ve never been able to fall asleep easily, so my nap is less sleeping and more laying down and resting my eyes while my mind wanders. Eventually, my thoughts drift to future events, and I sit up, opening my eyes, unwilling to think about the what-ifs. Stretching, I decide to look for Steve, since he should be done training for the day.

I find him reading by his bed. He looks up as I walk over to him, a small smile making its way onto his face. “Hey, there you are!” he says. “How’d your testing with Agent Carter go?”

I give him a thumbs up. “Good. Passed everything. Only fell once.” I shrug, shooting him a grin. “I’m surprised I didn’t trip more, to be honest.”

Steve laughs. “Always knew ya could do it,” he says.

“Oh, is that so?” I raise an eyebrow at him, smirking. “Even though you just found out what I was training for yesterday?”

“Shut up, nerd,” he says, chuckling.

“Punk.” I sit next to him. “You doing okay?”

He nods, smiling. “Of course I am! What, you think I can’t handle it?”

Laughing, I shake my head. “‘Course not. Just making sure.”

We’re quiet for a moment before Steve says, “Think he’s okay?”

“I know for a fact that Bucky’s completely fine right now,” I tell him. “He’d be telling you to worry about yourself for the time being, though.”

Steve smiles a little. “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

I sigh. “Steve, I promise he’s okay,” I say. “He’s only been there since yesterday, anyway.” I swallow the lump in my throat, knowing that, at one point, Bucky will definitely _not_ be okay. I stand up. “All right, I’ll let you get back to your book. I’ll see you again later.”

He nods at me. “See ya.”

* * *

The next day, since I’m done with my assessments and Colonel Phillips seems to want to ignore my existence, I decide to tag along with Peggy and watch Steve’s training. We watch as Steve’s foot gets caught in the net while he’s climbing the wall, causing him to fall and hang upside down.

“Rogers!” Sergeant Duffy yells. “Get off of there!”

Later, I grit my teeth when Steve is underneath the barbed wire, crawling through the mud, and Hodge kicks the post, causing the wire to fall on Steve.

“Can you punch him again?” I murmur to Peggy beside me.

“Rogers! Get that rifle outta that mud!” Sergeant Duffy commands. Peggy watches as he marches over to where Steve is.

“Make him give me a reason,” she says quietly, eyeing Hodge.

I cross my arms. “Pretty sure all you have to do is be around him for that,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. Peggy’s lips twitch.

Next, the recruits are running, and I silently cheer on Steve while he struggles to keep up.

“Pick up the pace, ladies!” Duffy yells. “Let’s go! Double time! Come on! Faster! Faster! Move! Move!”

I shift in the back of the jeep to watch as they come up to the flagpole.

“Squad, halt!” The recruits stop running at Duffy’s command. He points to the flag. “You see that flag? That there flag means we’re only at the halfway point. First man to bring it to me gets a ride back with Murphy and Agent Carter. Move, move!”

The recruits all rush over to the flagpole, tripping over themselves in their attempt to scale it. “If that’s all you got, this army’s in trouble!” Duffy taunts. “Get up there, Hodge! Come on! Get up there!” I chuckle when Hodge slips down to the ground again as Duffy continues taunting them. “Nobody’s gotten that flag in seventeen years! Now fall back into line! Come on, fall in! Let’s go! Get back into formation!” I watch as Steve walks up to the flagpole, examining it. Duffy calls out to him. “Rogers! I said fall in!”

Steve bends down and slides the pin out from the bottom of the flagpole, causing it to topple to the ground. I shoot a grin at Peggy as she watches Steve walk over to the end of the pole, her eyes lighting up in amusement.

Steve collects the flag and hands it to Sergeant Duffy. “Thank you, sir,” he says. I choke back a laugh. Steve climbs into the back of the truck next to me.

“Dude, that was awesome,” I say, clapping him on the back. He just slumps back in his seat, breathing hard. Peggy glances back at him and smiles.

The next task is push ups.

“Faster, ladies!” Peggy calls out, slowly walking back and forth in front of the recruits. “Come on, my grandma has more life in her, God rest her soul. Move it!”

I’m leaning back against a truck, watching as Steve’s shaking arms struggle to lift his body off the ground. Then I turn, distracted as I hear Dr. Erskine and Colonel Phillips arguing about Steve.

“...picking Rogers, are ya?” Colonel Phillips is saying.

“I am more than simply thinking about it,” the doctor replies. “He is the clear choice.” He glances over at me and I send him a quick smile.

Phillips shakes his head. “When you and Stark insisted on the girl being trained, I let it slide.” Colonel Phillips gestures to me. I huff, crossing my arms as he continues. “When you brought a ninety-pound asthmatic onto my army base, I let it slide. I thought what the hell? Maybe he’ll be useful to you, like a gerbil. I never thought you’d actually _pick_ him.”

“Up!” Peggy commands the recruits, and they all jump to their feet.

Phillips watches Steve struggle to his feet. “You stick a needle in that kid’s arm, it’s gonna go right through him.” He watches Steve struggle to keep up with the other recruits while doing jumping jacks.

“Come on, girls!” Peggy calls.

“Look at that,” Phillips says, still watching Steve. “He’s making me cry.”

Erskine sighs. “I am looking for qualities beyond the physical,” he says, sounding like a teacher who’s tired of repeating instructions.

“Do you have any idea how long it took to set up this project?” Colonel Phillips asks. I rub my hands down my face, rolling my eyes. “All the groveling I had to do in front of Senator What’s-His-Name’s committees?”

“Senator Brandt,” I say.

Dr. Erskine nods. “Yes, we are well aware of your efforts, Colonel.”

“Then throw me a bone,” Phillips says. “Hodge has passed every test we gave him. He’s big, he’s fast, he obeys orders. He’s a damn soldier.” I fight back a groan.

“He’s a bully,” Dr. Erskine states simply.

Colonel Phillips shrugs. “You don’t win wars with niceness, doctor.” He steps past the doctor to grab a grenade from a box on the truck I’m leaning against. “You win wars with guts.” He pulls the pin and lobs the grenade into the middle of the recruits. “Grenade!” he yells.

The recruits scramble to get away while Steve jumps onto the grenade, wrapping his body around it. “Get away!” he yells. “Get back!”

After a few seconds of nothing happening, someone calls out, “It was a dummy grenade. All clear. Back in formation.” Phillips just stares while Erskine openly grins. Peggy looks at Steve, pride showing on her face.

Steve slowly unfurls and looks toward where Dr. Erskine, Colonel Phillips, and I are standing. “Is this a test?”

Erskine and I turn to Phillips, who shrugs. “He’s still skinny,” he retorts as he walks away.

Shrugging, I turn to Dr. Erskine. “He just doesn’t want to admit he was wrong.”

He smiles. “Tomorrow, he will have to.” I nod in agreement, looking back at Steve, certain that there was no one better for this in the entire world.

* * *

Later that night, I find myself sitting with Peggy, unable to sleep.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” she asks.

I shrug. “Like I said a few days ago, I’ve been ready since I got here,” I tell her.

“You’re not even a bit nervous?”

I consider my answer carefully. “I… well, I guess I’m a little… not nervous, that’s not the right word. Restless, maybe. I would trust Stark and Dr. Erskine with my life— hell, I guess I kind of am, in a sense— so I’m not concerned about the procedure.” I sigh. “It’s just, there’s so much hype, you know? Part of me just wants this to be over with so I can focus on something else.”

Peggy nods. “I can understand that. I have to admit, I find myself to be a bit restless as well.”

“I’m more worried about Steve,” I tell her. “He’s only known about this for a week, where I’ve had years to adjust, and that’s not even taking into consideration the fact that I know exactly how this is going to turn out.”

Peggy laughs. “Yes, I’m certain that advanced knowledge can be quite helpful in a situation such as this one.”

“I would go check on him, but he and Dr. Erskine are having a conversation right about now, judging by the splitting headache I got as I had a vision of them talking a few minutes ago. I don’t want to interrupt them. I— _gah!_ ” I double over, my mind feeling like it’s being torn in two as I’m suddenly seeing into a lab.

“Sam!” Peggy rushes over and puts a hand on my shoulder.

“It’s— _fine!_ ” I grunt, pressing my palms against my forehead. “Need… to focus!”

I watch as Dr. Zola, the doctor working for HYDRA walks into the lab. He looks up at someone. I realize it’s Schmidt, a.k.a. Red Skull, posing for a portrait. He flips off the lights as he notices Zola.

“Is there something in particular you need?” I hear Schmidt ask Zola.

“I… see Schmidt,” I tell Peggy through gritted teeth, eyes watering. “And Zola.”

I see Zola glance at the painter. “I understand you found him,” he tells Schmidt.

“See for yourself,” Schmidt tells Zola, gesturing in front of him. I gasp, the pain of watching really taking its toll on me as Zola examines photographs on the table.

“It’s… _Erskine!_ ” I gasp. “Peggy, they… have… surveillance pictures of him! I… I can’t… _argh!_ ” I pull my focus back to my own body, slumping to the ground. Moving slowly, I put my head between my knees, trying to fight back the nausea and dizziness that threaten to overcome me.

Peggy squeezes my shoulder. “Are you back?” she asks quietly.

I take a deep breath. “Yes.”

“About Dr. Erskine—” Peggy starts, but I hold up a hand to stop her.

“They’re coming for him,” I tell her, “but if we stop this procedure, a lot of people might die.”

She nods solemnly. “Then this stays between us.”

I put my head in my hands. “It has to,” I reply miserably. I want so badly to save Erskine, but we need him for the procedure, and Steve _has_ to become Captain America.

Peggy gives my shoulder another squeeze. “I know,” she says, because while she may not know the why, she knows enough to trust me. And with that, it’s decided.

Dr. Erskine can’t be saved.

And I hate myself for it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the serum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE JULY 24, 2020:  
> I promise I haven't forgotten about this. I've actually been consistently working on it in over the past couple months, just on future chapters. It will be updated, I swear.
> 
> UPDATE SEPTEMBER 6, 2020:  
> Still working on this, I promise.
> 
> UPDATE November 21, 2020  
> Have been wicked depressed lately, but it's started to end, so I can hopefully get back to this very soon.

Early the next morning, I find myself in the backseat of a black car, sitting between Steve and Agent Carter as we’re driven through Brooklyn.

“I know this neighborhood.” Steve says.

I look out the window. “Hey, isn’t that the alley where I first met Bucky and he showed me how to throw a better punch?”

“Yep.” Steve nods and then points out the window, glancing at Peggy. “I got beat up in that alley… and that parking lot.” He looks down at his lap. “And behind that diner.”

“Did you have something against running away?” Peggy asks.

I sigh. “He never backs down. Ever.”

Steve looks over at me and Peggy. “Start runnin’ and they’ll never let you stop,” he explains. “You stand up, push back… well, can’t say no forever, right?”

“I know a little of what that’s like. To have every door shut in your face,” Peggy explains.

Steve glances over at her again before looking back to his lap. “Guess I just dunno why you’d wanna join the army if you’re a beautiful dame. Or a beautiful— woman!” Steve’s words come out sounding slightly panicked. “An agent, not a dame! I mean, you _are_ beautiful, but…” He stops himself as Peggy looks over at him, amusement lighting up her eyes. I bite back a laugh.

“You have absolutely no idea how to talk to a woman, do you?” She makes it sound more like a statement than a question.

Steve smiles a little. “Honestly, I think this is the longest conversation I;ve ever had with one. Outside of Sam, of course, but she’s different— I mean, of course, she’s still a woman, and she’s beautiful, but I just—”

“Steve.” I cut him off gently. “I get it. You’re fine.”

He swallows, nodding sheepishly. “Anyway, it’s not like women are eager to dance with a guy they might step on.”

“You must have danced?” Peggy says. Though it’s phrased as a statement, it comes out as a question.

Steve sighs. “Well, asking a woman to dance always seems so terrifying. And the past few years, it just… didn’t seem to matter all that much.” He shrugs. “Figured I’d wait.”

Peggy raises an eyebrow. “For what?”

“The right partner,” Steve responds.

“Oh, you’ll find her,” I assure him. _Sooner than you might think_ , I don’t add.

The conversation ends as the car pulls up next to an antiques shop. I wait for Steve to exit the car before following, Peggy getting out behind me. “This way,” she says, her tone back to business.

Steve looks around curiously. “What are we doing here?”

I smile, nudging him with my elbow. “Patience, young grasshopper.”

He looks at me with a blank expression. “Huh?”

“Oh wait, it’s too early for that reference. My bad.” I sigh. “Well, you can’t expect me to ever become perfectly adjusted to the times, I suppose.”

“Follow me,” Peggy says, entering the shop. A bell rings as she opens the door. I follow behind her with Steve bringing up the rear, closing the door behind him. I examine the furniture on display in the show, finding it somewhat humorous that I’m in an antique store when practically everything from the current time period would be an antique for me.

Movement draws my eyes over to the far wall, where an older woman walks out of a doorway obscured by a curtain. She smiles politely. “Wonderful weather this morning, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but I always carry an umbrella,” Peggy responds.

The woman nods, seeming satisfied with the response, and walks behind the counter. A buzzing noise sounds as Peggy leads Steve and me through the curtained door into the back room, bringing us face to face with what seems to be a bookshelf at first glance. I rock backwards on my heels, trying to contain my excitement as the bookshelf swings open to reveal a long, hospital-like hallway. We follow Peggy through the double doors at the end and find ourselves on a railed ledge overlooking what appears to be a dome-shaped room, filled with scientists and science equipment. Steve leans forward against the railing, seeming lost for words. Everyone in the room stops to stare at us when they notice our appearance. Peggy glances at Steve, letting him have a minute to take in our surroundings before turning and heading down the stairs to our right, down to all the equipment. She leads up to a circular raised platform in the middle of the room where the majority of the scientific equipment is set up. Someone turns around upon hearing us approach, and I give a nod in greeting when realizing it’s Dr. Erskine.

“Good morning,” he says, reaching out to shake my hand and then Steve’s. To my left, a flash goes off along with the shutter of a camera, and Erskine looks to his right, toward the noise. “Please, not now,” he says, causing the man holding the camera to back away, nodding in apology.

I notice Steve looking the other way, and I follow his gaze to the two Vita-Ray Chambers next to us. I clap a hand on his shoulder. “Cool, right?” I ask. He just nods.

“Are you ready?” Dr. Erskine asks. Steve nods again, not taking his eyes off of the contraption. The doctor looks to me.

I grin, giving him a thumbs up. “I’ve been ready for years,” I tell him, ignoring the nervous fluttering in my stomach.

Dr. Erskine nods. “Good. Steven, please remove your shirt, your tie, and your hat. Ms. Murphy, if you would also remove your shirt and hat, but you may leave on your undershirt.”

I nod in compliance. After taking off my hat, I sigh. “I feel naked,” I mutter. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a small smile appear on Peggy’s lips.

After Steve and I have both removed our excess clothing, Dr. Erskine gestures to the Vita-Ray Chambers next to us. “Get in,” he says. My mind flashes to Spongebob, of all things, specifically the scene that became a meme where Spongebob and Patrick tell Squidward to get into the coffin, and I choke back a laugh. I climb up and lay down, sighing; it’s very uncomfortable, but I suppose I should’ve expected as much.

Erskine stands between the two chambers, looking back and forth between Steve and myself. “Comfortable?”

“Was it actually meant to be?” I ask.

“It’s a little big,” Steve comments, causing a chuckle to escape Dr. Erskine. “You save me any of that schnapps?”

Dr. Erskine sighs. “Not as much as I should have.” He shrugs. “Sorry. Next time.” He pauses a moment before calling out, “Mr. Stark? How are your levels?”

“Levels at one hundred percent,” Howard reports, coming to a stop next to the doctor.

“Good,” Erskine replies.

Howard looks down at me, raising an eyebrow. “You ready?”

“Are _you_ ready?” I counter with a smirk.

He shrugs. “Well, we may dim half the lights in Brooklyn, but we are ready.” He pauses, shrugging a shoulder. “At least, as ready as we’ll ever be.”

Grinning, I give him a thumbs up. “Let’s do this!”

Howard heads over to the front of the platform to fiddle with an equipment panel as Dr. Erskine directs Peggy to the booth that looks down on the platform, where all the other spectators are waiting. Peggy nods, making her way over there. Before she begins her ascent up the stairs, she glances back at Steve, giving him a small nod when he meets her eyes.

Dr. Erskine has picked up a microphone and taps it twice to make sure it’s working. “Can you hear me? Is this thing on?” He turns to face the small group of spectators Peggy has just joined. “Ladies and gentlemen, today we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path to peace.” A pair of nurses strap me in and lower mechanical rods down towards me, resting them over my chest. They begin placing vials filled with the blue liquid I know to be the super-soldier serum into ports on the mechanical rods while Erskine continues his speech. “We begin with a series of micro injections into the subjects’ major muscle groups,” he explains. “The serum infusion will cause immediate cellular change. Then, to stimulate growth, the subjects will be saturated with Vita-Rays.”

Erskine comes back to check on me and Steve as a nurse cleans my arm with a wipe. I wrinkle my nose at the smell of antiseptic. “You’re not afraid of needles, I hope?” Dr. Erskine asks me.

I shake my head. “Nah, not the needles. When I was little, like five, I had to get my blood drawn. I had already had it done a lot, so I wasn’t worried, but this time it was at the local children’s hospital. The nurse missed my vein multiple times and then wiggled the needle around to try to catch the vein. After the third or fourth try, she called in my mom and four other nurses to hold me down because she blamed me for moving too much— which I wasn’t until I started freaking out about being held down!” I add. “Anyway, long story short, I was poked about ten different times between both arms, my mom felt so bad for me she let me pick out a pet hamster afterwards, it took me over a decade to get over the trauma, and I still hate the smell of the alcohol antiseptic to this day.”

Dr. Erskine nods as the nurse pushes a needle into my arm. “I suppose that would traumatize any child.”

“Hey, that wasn’t so bad,” Steve says after the nurse injects him, too.

Erskine sighs. “That was penicillin,” he explains, shaking his head.

“It’s okay, Steve,” I say, staring up at the domed ceiling, unable to turn my head towards him. “You’ll be fine.”

The doctor turns his head towards Stark. “Serum infusion beginning in five… four….” Metal arms clamp down on my biceps. “Three… two… one.” I hear someone flip a switch and then a hissing sound. A couple seconds go by and then I flinch instinctively when it feels like ice is being injected into my veins through my arm. “Now, Mr. Stark,” Erskine says. Suddenly, the table I’m strapped to is rising up so I’m in a standing position, metal walls closing around me, encasing me in a capsule-like container, with a small window at my eye level.

I hear a knocking sound. “Steven?” I recognize Dr. Erskine’s voice. “Can you hear me?” Steve’s muffled voice says something in reply, but I can’t make it out. I see Dr. Erskine look through the window at me. “Are you okay?”

“Totally fine,” I say.

He nods and steps back. “We will proceed,” I hear him tell someone, presumably Stark. I hear a rumbling noise around me, which gets progressively louder. Light begins shining, and I squeeze my eyes shut at the intensity. Within seconds, the light is bright enough that it hurts my eyes despite keeping them closed.

It doesn’t hurt, not exactly, but pain is the closest word I can use to describe the intensity I’m feeling as the noise gets louder and louder. I grit my teeth together, determined to stick it out. I barely register Steve’s yells.

“Kill the reactor, Mr. Stark!” Dr. Erskine yells. “Turn it off! Kill it! Kill the reactor!”

“No!” I hear Steve yell. “Don’t! I can do this!”

I want to call out in support but I’m afraid if I open my mouth only screams will come out, so I focus on clamping my jaw shut. Somehow, the blinding light at the back of my eyelids gets even brighter, and the rumbling noise is almost deafening. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out when suddenly everything shuts down with a loud _whirring_ sound. Breathing heavily, I take a second to try and calm my racing heart before calling out to Steve.

“Steve? You good?”

“Yeah,” comes his reply.

With a hiss, the walls surrounding me open. I blink away the lingering echoes of the bright light to see Howard reaching for me, helping me down. I squint at him. “Hey,” I say, frowning, “weren’t you taller?”

He smiles. “No, you were smaller.”

With a start, I realize that he’s right— I’m suddenly a good six inches taller than I was a few minutes ago. “Huh,” I say. “Would you look at that?”

I look over at Steve and see Dr. Erskine helping him up. Peggy walks up in front of Steve. “How do you feel?” she asks.

Steve looks around. “Taller,” he says with a sigh, still catching his breath.

Peggy stares at him, reaching out as if to touch his chest before yanking her hand back. “You look taller,” she says.

“Hey, no fair! We were the same height before but now you’re taller than me,” I complain to Steve with a grin.

“It’s about time I’m taller than somebody,” he jokes.

I let out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess I’ll give you that one.”

Suddenly, an explosion blows out the windows of the viewing area, making everyone duck, shouting in alarm. Looking up, I see a man in a suit grab the last remaining vial of the serum.

“Stop him!” Dr. Erskine shouts.

“Doctor, get down!” I yell, diving forward to tackle him to the ground as the sound of gunshots ring in my ears. A woman screams as I roll off of Dr. Erskine, hoping that I was fast enough, but the slowly-growing pool of red on his white coat shows otherwise.

“No, no, please don’t die!” I plead, applying pressure to his wounds. More gunshots go sound off from behind us. Steve kneels beside me, and Dr. Erskine reaches up to tap Steve’s chest before his hand goes slack and falls to the ground beside him. I curse, jumping to my feet to take off after the man who murdered him.

I run up the stairs and down the hallway where we came, glancing behind me to see Steve following at my heels. We burst out of the antiques shop in time to see the man in the suit jump into a taxi and speed towards Peggy, who’s standing in the street, aiming a gun at him. Steve tackles Peggy out of the way before the taxi can run her over.

“I had him!” she yells as Steve and I take off after the taxi.

“Sorry!” Steve calls over his shoulder. Ahead of us, the cab screeches around the corner. “Go down the alley!” Steve yells, cutting left. I follow close behind him, urging my legs to go faster.

True to my clumsy nature, I trip over my own feet and go sprawling to the ground. “ _Shit!_ ” I push myself back to my feet, ignoring the stinging in my elbows and knees as I continue running after Steve, who’s turned the corner by now.

When I turn onto the street, I see Steve to my left, climbing out of a broken window he seems to have accidentally run through. “Sorry!” he calls again as he takes off after the taxi.

We cut through another alleyway and find the end blocked by a gate. Steve jumps over it effortlessly, and I follow his lead, almost expecting it not to work.

“Holy shit, dude!” I yell as I leap over the gate, my legs flailing beneath me. “That was awesome!”

Steve rushes out into the busy street, dodging cars. I follow at his heels, gaining on the cab. Steve leaps onto the roof of another car as I continue running in the street. I watch as Steve hops from car to car, catching up to the taxi. He lands on the roof of the cab, causing it to swerve. I follow close behind as the taxi slams into an oncoming truck and rolls onto its side, causing Steve to lose his grip.

The man climbs out of the taxi, raising his gun to take a shot at Steve, who picks up the broken door of the cab to use as a shield. The man grabs a young boy from his mother’s arms, taking him as a hostage. “Get back!” he yells as Steve and I run after him, ducking behind the corner as he takes another shot. Steve and I run around after him only to stop in our tracks when the man turns the gun on the boy.

“No! Don’t!” Steve yells.

The man turns the gun on us, pulling the trigger, but only a click sounds; he’s out of bullets. He throws the boy into the water before running away. I rush over, ready to dive in after him, but the boy is treading water. “Go get him!” he says. “I can swim!”

Steve and I run after the man, who has jumped into a futuristic-looking— even by my standards— submarine. Steve dives in after him and I follow suit, swimming after him. Steve catches up first and punches a hole through the glass window of the submarine. I rip open the top and Steve grabs the man. Steve throws the man out of the water as I climb up onto the land, dodging a swing from the man before shoving him to the ground. The vial in his hand goes flying and smashes against the wall.

Steve grabs him by the shirt. “Who the hell are you?!”

“The first of many,” the man sneers. He bites a fake tooth and swallows it. “Cut off one head, two more shall take its place. Hail HYDRA!” He begins foaming at the mouth before going limp. Steve drops him to the ground as I fight back a shiver.

“Well,” I say, sighing, “at least he won—” I double over in pain.

“Sam!” Steve grabs my shoulders.

I see HYDRA soldiers marching down a hallway. “The Führer is not accustomed to being ignored, Herr Schmidt,” a man says in the background. I gasp in pain. “He funds your research because you promised him weapons.”

“You serve at his pleasure. He gave you this facility as a reward for your injuries,” a second man says. I watch as a small group walks down the hallway, led by Johann Schmidt.

“Sam! Sam!” Steve is shaking me, and with extreme effort, I yank my consciousness fully back to my body, slumping against Steve with a groan.

“I’m okay,” I assure him, squeezing my eyes shut in an attempt to calm my growing nausea. “Just another one.”

He frowns, looking me over in concern. “You sure you’re good?”

I nod, then gesture to the body at our feet. “We should get him back to the lab,” I say. “Probably not a good idea to just leave him here.”

Steve nods, grabbing the body and throwing it over his shoulder. “Lead the way,” he says, and we begin the walk back to the antiques store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, that story about having to get blood work done when I was 5 and being poked more than ten times is true, sadly, though the part about my mom feeling so bad for me that she bought me a hamster is also true. It was my first pet aside from my two goldfish, and a couple weeks after we got her, she had three babies!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the events of the serum, and the idea of Captain America is born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Sorry it took almost a year, but 2020 was crazy for me, as I'm sure it was for many of you. I hope to get back to this now that things in my life have finally found some semblance of normal again, and I'm not talking about the pandemic (I wish it were just the pandemic I've had to worry about).

“Have I ever mentioned how much I hate the smell of antiseptic?” I complain, wrinkling my nose.

“A few times,” Peggy responds, not looking up from the file in front of her. We’re in a medical lab, Steve and I each sitting on an examination table as a nurse draws vial after vial of blood from our arms. Peggy stands by the wall in front of us.

“All right,” the nurse says, sliding the needle out of my arm. “That should do it.”

“Think they got enough?” Steve quips, nodding to the numerous vials.

Peggy shrugs, closing the file. “With the serum gone, any hope of reproducing the results is locked within your genetic code, but without Dr. Erskine, it could take years.”

Steve sighs, looking down. “He deserved more than this,” he says quietly.

Frowning, Peggy looks to Steve, her eyebrows pulling together. “Well, if it could work only once, he’d be proud it was the two of you.”

I put a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “He chose you because of who you are as a person,” I tell him, “not because you checked some boxes on a test. He knew you have it in you to be great.” Standing, I pull Steve to his feet. “Now come on, let’s go see what they found out after Howard got his hands on that sub.”

The walk down to the lab is quiet, the three of us lost in our own thoughts. When we get there, the Colonel is talking to Senator Brandt before turning to Howard, who is checking out the submarine. “What have we got here?”

Howard runs a hand over the sub, turning to the Colonel. “Speaking modestly,” he starts as I choke back a laugh (modest is not a word I would associate with Howard Stark), “I’m the best mechanical engineer in this country.” Howard gives a slight pause, his eyes trailing over the sub. “Despite that, I have no idea what’s inside this thing, or even how it works. We’re nowhere near this technology,” he reports, frowning.

“Then who is?” Senator Brandt asks.

“HYDRA,” I say at the same time as Colonel Phillips. The Colonel glares at me. “Sorry,” I mutter quietly, fighting the urge to cross my arms.

“HYDRA is the only organization who could dream of using this kind of technology,” the Colonel expands, turning his attention back to the senator. “I’m sure you’ve been reading our briefings.”

Senator Brandt raises an eyebrow. “I’m on a number of committees, Colonel, I’m sure you understand.”

“HYDRA is the Nazi’s deep science division, led by Johann Schmidt, though he has much bigger ambitions,” Peggy explains.

“They’re practically a cult,” Phillips continues. “Schmidt is like a god to them; they worship him, think he’s invincible.”

“So what are you going to do about it, Colonel?” the senator asks.

The Colonel turns from the senator to address Peggy. “Spoke to the president this morning. The SSR is currently being retasked, as of today.”

Peggy frowns. “Colonel?”

“We are taking the fight to HYDRA,” he explains. “Agent Carter, Stark, pack your bags. You’re flying to London tonight.”

Steve takes a step forward. “Respectfully, sir, if you’re going after Schmidt, I want in.”

“You’re an experiment, being sent to Alamogordo,” Colonel Phillips says before I can chime in.

“The serum worked,” Steve argues.

Phillips is not impressed. “I asked for an army and all I got were an asthmatic and an unimpressive girl who’s somehow wormed her way into top secret projects. The two of you are not enough.”

I bite my tongue as the Colonel moves to walk away, sharing a look of exasperation with Peggy. Senator Brandt turns to Steve. “With all due respect to the Colonel, I think we may be missing the point. I’ve seen the two of you in action, Steve. More importantly, the country’s seen it, too.” He turns to his aide, snapping his fingers. “Paper.” The aid holds up a newspaper. The front page shows a grainy black-and-white picture of Steve using the door of the taxi as a shield. The story details our fight with the HYDRA agent. “The enlistment lines have been around the block since your picture hit the newsstands. You’re a national icon, Rogers. You don’t hide that away in a lab.” He puts a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Do you want to serve your country on the most important battlefield of the war?”

Steve stands straighter. “Sir, that’s all I want.”

Senator Brandt shakes Steve’s hand. “Then congratulations. You just got promoted.”

* * *

Steve’s promotion is not at all what he expects, and I almost feel bad for him as we’re waiting backstage for his first performance. Of course, the senator tried to get me involved as well, but as soon as I saw what I was expected to wear, I put a stop to it.

Steve sighs, looking vaguely like he wants to vomit. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Nothing to it.” Senator Brandt’s aide claps him on the back. “You perform, we sell a few bonds, buy some bullets with the bond money, kill some Nazis with the bullets. Bing bang boom. You’re an American hero.”

Steve sighs again. “Just not how I pictured getting there.”

I put a hand on his arm. “Steve, I promise, you _will_ get there,” I tell him. “This isn’t for nothing.” I neglect to tell him that these performances have absolutely nothing to do with the real reasons he’ll see combat.

“Senator’s got a lot of pull with some important people,” Brandt’s aide says as Steve pulls on his mask. “Play ball with us, you’ll be leading your own platoon in no time. Take the shield.” When Steve grabs the shield, the aide pushes him out onto the stage. “Now go!”

As soon as Steve is on stage, music starts to play, and dancing women dressed in red, white, and blue walk out from behind the curtain. “ _Who’s strong and brave, here to save the American way?_ ” they sing.

Steve awkwardly holds up his shield to read from the index cards he has taped to the back of it. “Not all of us can storm a beach or drive a tank,” he says nervously. “But there’s still a way all of us can fight.”

“ _Who vows to fight like a man, for what’s right, night and day?_ ”

“Series E Defense Bonds. Each one you buy is a bullet in the barrel of your best guy’s gun.”

“ _Who will campaign door-to-door for America? Carry the flag shore to shore for America? From Hoboken to Spokane, the star-spangled man with a plan. We can’t ignore there’s a threat and a war we must win._ ”

I bury my face in my hands as the girls sing, feeling very sorry for Steve; it was embarrassing to watch when this was just a movie, but it’s so much worse in person.

“ _Who’ll hang a noose on the goose-stepping goons from Berlin? Who will redeem, heed the call for America? Who’ll rise or fall, give his all for America? Who’s here to prove that we can? The star-spangled man with a plan._ ”

“Keep our boys armed and ready, and the Germans will think twice about trying to get the drop on us,” Steve says as a man dressed as Hitler sneaks up behind him on stage. Several children in the audience call out to him in warning. Steve turns and pretends to sucker-punch Hitler in the face, causing the audience to cheer.

“ _Stalwart and steady and true, forceful and ready to defend, the red, white, and blue. Who’ll give the Axis the sack and is smart as a fox? Far as an eagle will soar. Who’s making Adolf afraid to step out of his box? He knows what we’re fighting for. Who waked the giant that napped in America? We know it’s no one but Captain America. Who’ll finish what they began? Who’ll kick the Krauts to Japan? The star-spangled man with a plan!_ ”

* * *

When the show is even more of a success than the senator and his partners expected, Steve’s schedule becomes packed with repeat performances, and he has his lines memorized in no time. I go with him to them all as moral support, but I’m quickly forgotten in the hype of Captain America. I’m not even included in the short promotional video they make (not that I’m complaining). While the director is telling the actors not to look at the camera, I sit down to write a quick letter to Bucky

_Tuesday, July 27, 1943_

_Bucky:_

_You may want to be sitting down for this one, Buck. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there was an experimental procedure done a couple weeks ago that basically created two super-soldiers. Steve and I are those soldiers._

_Surprise?_

_That’s why I’d been training. But man, you should see Steve now— he’s over six feet tall! And his muscles are HUGE! Seriously, you would barely recognize him. As for me, I’m taller now, too, standing at just under six feet. It’s really weird, though, to be honest. I mean, I spent my whole life being short and now suddenly I’m pretty much as tall as you! It’s definitely going to take some getting used to, that’s for sure._

_Okay, getting a little off topic. After the procedure, the doctor who helped create the serum was shot right in front of me. He was my friend, and I couldn’t do anything but watch as he died. It was horrible. Steve took off after the shooter, and of course I followed (you know I never let you or Steve get into trouble alone) and not only did the serum make me so much faster, but I ran and ran and was barely even winded! It was crazy! Don’t let that fool you, though: I still HATE running, trust me. Pretty sure it’s the bane of my existence. I mean, yeah, now I can run wicked far without being even a little out of breath, but I still hate it. During the chase, I did trip over my own feet once, but that’s nothing new. Some things never change, I guess. Being tall is hard when you’re naturally a klutz, let me tell you. I’ve been falling a lot (and yes, I obviously mean more than normal)._

_Anyway, the Colonel in charge of us wasn’t impressed I guess, so Steve and I still aren’t deployed in any helpful capacity. A senator has been parading Steve around as some sort of symbol of hope (he tried to get me to do it, too, but there was no way I would be caught dead in the stuff they wanted me to wear), and he’s pretty miserable, to be honest. The people who go to the shows seem to like it, though, which is something? I don’t know, I’m not good at the whole “people” thing. That was always your area of expertise._

_Well, Buck, I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing. Go save the world and all that stuff, but just be careful, okay? You’re one of basically four people in the entire world that I care about, and I’ve already lost all my friends and family once— I don’t need to lose anyone else. Hopefully Steve and I will be able to join you on the front lines soon!_

_-Sam_

Sighing, I fold up the letter and put it in between the pages of my notebook before slipping it back into my backpack to send to Peggy later, knowing she’ll make sure it gets to him. Leaning back against the wall, I cross my arms and watch as Steve and the actors begin the scene again, and again, I wonder how long it’ll take before Steve and I can finally do something to actually make a difference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is when things start to get interesting! It's already written, I just want to wait a week before posting to give myself some time to get ahead.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get the news about Bucky and his unit being captured and formulate a plan in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me, posting two weeks in a row! About time, huh? Anyway, I'm working on the next chapter now, so hopefully I can continue this pattern of not taking forever between updates again.

As the days turn into weeks, and the weeks quickly turn into months, Steve’s shows get bigger and bigger, causing the senator to vastly overestimate the power of Captain America; he sends us to Italy, only five miles from the front lines, with the hopes that Steve can rally the troops. What the senator fails to realize is that the soldiers are tired, worn down, and more interested in the dancing women than the novel idea of a superhero. To Steve’s credit, he certainly tries his best to entertain them.

“How many of you are ready to help me sock old Adolf on the jaw?” he asks the uninterested crown of soldiers with a smile. His smile fades when his only answer is silence. “Uh, okay then. I’m, uh, gonna need a volunteer?”

“We already volunteered!” someone in the crowd calls out. “How do you think we got here?”

“Bring back the girls!” someone else yells, causing the rest of the crowd to whoop and cheer.

Steve glances to where I’m standing behind the curtain, clearly unsure of what to do. “I, uh, I think they… only know the one song, but, ah… let me… I can, um, I’ll see what I can do.”

“You do that, sweetheart!” someone jeers.

“Yeah, nice boots, Tinkerbell!”

Steve sighs. “Come on, guys, we’re all on the same team here.”

“Hey Captain!” A man in the crowd stands on a table and turns his back to Steve, bending over. “Sign this!” The crowd cheers as the man pulls down his pants and shows Steve his bare ass. Steve uses his shield to block as some tomatoes are thrown his way.

“Bring back the girls!” another soldier shouts as Steve walks off the stage glumly.

“I’m not really sure what they were thinking, having you come here and do this,” I tell him with a shrug. 

The senator’s aide pats Steve on the back, ignoring me. “Don’t worry, pal. They’ll warm up to ya’.”

I scoff. “They’ll warm up to the girls,” I correct him. “These guys don’t care about a super-soldier icon when they’re on the front lines of a war.”

Steve sighs. “I just wish we were actually doing something to help them instead of dancing around on a stage,” he says to me.

“I know, trust me,” I tell him. “I feel useless.” I sit down on the stairs and rub my hands over my face. “This is bullshit.”

“Language,” he chastises me, causing me to roll my eyes.

“You’ve been saying that to me for years,” I point out. “If it hasn’t worked yet, what makes you think I’ll ever stop being the same foul-mouthed delight you’ve come to know and love.”

He barks out a laugh. “It’s just a habit at this point,” he says, pulling out a sketchbook as a few raindrops begin to fall. He frowns. “I feel like a circus attraction.”

I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “I don’t blame you,” I say.

“You don’t blame him for what?” I give a start upon hearing Peggy’s voice. I look up to see her walking towards us. “Hello Sam, Steve.”

“Hi,” Steve says.

“Hi,” she repeats, a small smile making its way onto her lips.

I give her a nod. “Steve and I were just lamenting the fact that he’s being paraded around like a circus animal,” I explain.

“That was quite a performance,” Peggy notes.

Steve gives a huff of humorless laughter. “I had to improvise a little. The crowds I’m used to are usually a bit more, uh….”

“Not beaten-down soldiers who have no interest in a national icon that’s not actually being allowed to help them?” I offer.

Steve nods. “Yeah, that.”

“As I understand it, you’re “America’s New Hope,”” Peggy says.

“We’re wasted here,” I tell her, frowning.

Steve lets out a hum of agreement. “I figured we’d be out trying to win the war, not just a stupid morale-booster that only works on the people removed from the actual war itself. But hey, it all works out since bond sales bump up ten percent in every state I visit, right?” Steve’s voice is dripping with feigned enthusiasm.

“Is that Senator Brandt I hear?” Peggy notes.

“As much as I hate it, at least he has me doing something,” Steve replies miserably. “Colonel Phillips would’ve just stuck us in a lab someplace and forgotten about us.”

“And those are your only two options?” Peggy inquires, glancing down at Steve’s sketchbook where he had been drawing a monkey in his Captain America outfit. “A lab rat or a dancing monkey? You were meant for more than this, you know.”

I groan. “I know. They won’t even let me be a “dancing monkey,” as you so aptly called it, without wearing some ridiculously short skirt and shirt, which I refuse to do, so I’m literally just sitting and twiddling my thumbs while men are dying! I hate it!”

Steve opens his mouth and takes a breath as if to say something before hesitating and looking down at his feet.

“What?” Peggy asks.

Steve shakes his head. “For the longest time, I dreamed of coming overseas, being on the front lines and serving my country proudly. I finally get here, and you know what I’m doing? I’m wearing tights. I—” He’s interrupted by the beeping of a car. We turn to watch as an ambulance pulls in, unloading wounded soldiers. “They look like they’ve been through hell,” Steve notes sadly.

A jolt of icy fear runs through my veins in recognition at his words. “ _Oh God,_ ” I breathe.

Peggy sighs, turning her attention back to Steve. “These men more than most. They were sent out to Azzano. Two hundred men left and not even fifty returned.” Peggy pauses, looking back at the ambulance for a second. “Your audience contained what was left of the one-oh-seventh. The rest were killed or captured.”

Steve’s head darts to me, eyes widened in horror. “The one-oh-seventh?” He jumps up and starts running.

“What?” Peggy asks me as I follow him.

“Come on!” Steve yells back to us. We run after him, following him to a tent where Colonel Phillips is sitting at a table. “Colonel Phillips!” Steve exclaims.

“Well, if it isn’t the Star-Spangled Man With A Plan himself,” Phillips says. “And what is your plan today?”

“We need the casualty list from Azzano,” I tell him breathlessly, not from exertion but from fear. I know what it’s going to say, but I still can’t shake the feeling of dread.

“You don’t get to give me orders, girl,” Phillips tells me curtly.

“We only need one name,” Steve tells him. “Sergeant James Barnes from the hundred and seventh.”

Colonel Phillips narrows his eyes at Peggy, pointing at her. “You and I are gonna have a long talk later that I guarantee you won’t enjoy.”

“Please, sir, just tell us if he’s alive,” Steve pleads. “B-A-R—”

“I can spell,” the Colonel interrupts. He sighs, leaning back in his seat and rubbing a hand over his face. “I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count,” he says, gesturing to the papers in front of him. “But the name does sound familiar.” He pauses. “I’m sorry.”

I grit my teeth, knowing that Bucky is being tortured as we speak, hating that I couldn’t do anything to stop it unless I wanted him to die. Steve takes a step forward, undeterred. “Are we planning a rescue mission?”

“It’s called winning the war, son,” Colonel Phillips says.

“But if, if you know where they are, why not at least—”

The Colonel cuts Steve off. “They’re thirty miles behind the lines. To get there, we’d have to trek through the most heavily-fortified territory in Europe. We’d lose more men than we’d save, but since you’re just a chorus girl, I don’t expect you to understand.”

Steve sets his jaw. “I think I understand just fine,” he says in the tone that means he’s about to do something reckless. I silently cheer him on.

“Well then, go understand it somewhere else,” Colonel Phillips snarks, walking past Steve. “If I read the posters correctly, you got somewhere to be in half an hour.”

Steve examines the map. “Yes, sir, I do.”

Without looking up from what he’s doing, Colonel Phillips points at Peggy. “If you have something to say, right now is the perfect time to keep it to yourself.”

I follow Steve as he quickly walks out of the tent, heading to where our quarters are. Peggy hurries after us. “What do you plan to do, walk to Austria?”

“Nah, I was planning on having Howard give us a ride,” I tell her, looking back at her over my shoulder.

“We’ll walk if we have to,” Steve says.

“You heard the Colonel, your friend is most likely dead,” Peggy points out.

Steve glances at me, and I shake my head firmly. “No, he’s not,” I tell her. “I know for a fact he’s one of the ones who were captured.”

“And you didn’t think to mention this earlier?” Steve snaps as we enter the tent.

“Not if you want to save him!” I retort. “Peggy’s here now, she can put us in contact with Howard and get us there.”

“The Colonel is devising a strategy to get them out of there,” Peggy interjects. “If he detects—”

“By the time he’s done with it, it could be too late!” Steve exclaims, hastily throwing a few materials into a bag and exiting the tent again. “You told me you knew I was meant for more than this,” he says to Peggy. “Did you mean that?”

Peggy nods without hesitation. “Every word.”

Steve throws his bag into an unoccupied Jeep and I follow suit. “Then you gotta let us go.”

Peggy nods at me. “As Sam said, I can do more than just that.”

“Thank you,” I tell her, hopping in the driver’s seat. “Now, where did you want me to go?”

* * *

Peggy directs me to a nearby airfield, far enough away from the camp that it won’t draw unwanted attention when Howard lands. While we wait for the plane to get us close enough to jump, we try to formulate a plan, which proves difficult with our limited knowledge of what we’re up against.

“Sam, what do you remember about the place?” Peggy asks.

I shake my head. “Not enough to help, unfortunately,” I tell her. “Had I known I would need to walk right into the fight, I would’ve paid more attention to the more technical details of the movie, but no one could’ve predicted this. I do know they have some really advanced weaponry to defend the place, so we’re not gonna want to go in hot.”

“What we do know is that it’s a HYDRA camp in Krausberg, between two mountain ranges, a factory of some kind,” Peggy says.

“Heavily fortified,” I reiterate. “And they do experiments there. On people.”

Steve jerks his head to the side to look at me. “Experiments? Is—”

“I don’t know any of the specifics,” I interrupt before he can ask about Bucky so I don’t have to answer that. “I just know that the experiments aren’t going to be an issue for us; they’re not used as an extra defense, I know that much. In any case, our best bet is to get as close as we can without being seen.”

“We should be able to drop you right on the doorstep,” Howard chimes in.

“Just get us as close as you can,” Steve tells him. He looks between Peggy and Howard. “You know, you two are gonna get in a lot of trouble back at the lab for this.”

“And you won’t?” Peggy shoots back.

“Please,” I scoff. “What better way to test out the serum than to drop us right smack in the middle of a HYDRA base? Either we save the day and return with over a hundred and fifty prisoners of war, or we go out in a blaze of glory while trying.”

“I would very much prefer it if the two of you came back alive,” Peggy comments, frowning.

“We’ll do our best. But hey, at least if we die they can’t reprimand us!” I say with a grin, shrugging.

Steve nods in agreement. “Where we’re going, anyone yells at us, we can just shoot at ‘em.”

“They will undoubtedly shoot back,” Peggy points out.

Steve gestures to his shield. “Well then, let’s hope this thing is good for something.”

“Hey Stark, you bring those goggles I asked for?” I ask.

He nods at a container to my left. “Bulletproof and made to fit over your glasses,” he confirms.

I reach inside and grab them, slipping them over my face. “Nice,” I say, smiling. “This’ll help a lot, thanks!”

“We can’t exactly have you going in blind if anything were to happen to your glasses, now can we?” Peggy asks.

“Agent Carter,” Howard calls over his shoulder, “if we’re not in too much of a hurry, I figure we could stop off in Lucerne for a late-night fondue.”

Peggy glances at Steve who looks away, a slight blush rising to his cheeks. “Stark is the best civilian pilot I’ve ever seen,” she tells Steve.

“Best non-civilian pilot I’ve ever seen, too,” I chime in.

Peggy gives a hum of agreement. “If he’s mad enough to brave this airspace, we’re lucky to have him.”

Steve looks between the two. “So are you two…? Do you…? _Fondue?_ ”

I let out a bark of laughter as Peggy ignores him, electing to hand me a piece of equipment rather than answer. “This is your transponder. Activate it when you’re ready and the signal will lead us straight to you.”

Steve eyes it warily. “You sure this thing works?”

“It’s been tested more than the two of you guys, pal,” Howard tells him. I open my mouth to respond when gunfire slams into the side of the plane. I reach out to brace myself, closing my eyes for a second to settle my nerves.

“For someone with a fear of flying, you’re doing pretty well while in the middle of an active warzone,” Peggy notes as Steve stands.

I swallow hard. “I’m only okay because I know for a fact we aren’t going to crash.”

Steve stands and opens the door of the plane. I take that as my cue to get over myself and follow his lead.

“Are you crazy?” Peggy shouts over the sound of gunfire. “Get back here! We’re taking you all the way in!”

Steve turns to her. “As soon as we’re free, you get Stark to turn this thing around and get the hell outta here.”

“You can’t give me orders!” Peggy exclaims.

Steve smiles fiercely. “The hell I can’t! I’m a Captain!”

I can’t resist the opportunity. “Language!”

Steve shakes his head. “We’re about to jump from a plane, I think a little leeway is allowed,” he retorts, making sure his parachute is secured.

I grin. _Perfect._ “Well, in that case— _FUCK HYDRA!_ ” I yell as I jump.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We mount a rescue for Bucky and the rest of the 107th.

Lucky for me, I’ve ridden enough roller coasters in my life that my stomach no longer drops when I fall, because I’m sure free-falling while thousands of feet in the air would not feel great otherwise. Despite my surroundings and the flashes of gunfire all around me, I let out a whoop; this is exhilarating.

Before I get too close to the ground, I release my chute, slowing my descent. I look around me, trying to get my bearings and locate Steve in the dark when I suddenly get a flash of a laboratory, sending a splitting pain through my head.

“ _Not now!_ ” I groan, pressing my fingers to my temples as I rip my consciousness back to my body just in time to stumble to my feet, having floated to the ground. I free myself from the parachute and look around for Steve.

“Ready?” he asks quietly.

I nod. “Let’s do this.”

We quickly sneak through the forest, on high alert. When we reach the edge, we stop and watch the facility from a distance, trying to plan our next move.

“Searchlights and guards are really gonna hinder our ability to make it in unnoticed,” I observe in a whisper. “Any ideas?”

Steve opens his mouth to talk when we hear an engine fast approaching. We both duck behind a tree as multiple trucks drive by. “I think I might know a way,” he replies, watching the convoy pass. When the final truck passes us, Steve and I spring into action, running after it and jumping in the back. After climbing in, I look up to find two HYDRA soldiers looking at us, their confusion visible despite their masks.

“Fellas,” Steve quips.

The guards jump into action, and Steve and I make quick work subduing them, each focusing on a single guard, tossing them out the back once they’re unconscious.

“That wasn’t too hard,” Steve comments.

I punch his arm. “Don’t jinx it, idiot!”

As the truck comes to a stop, presumably inside the facility’s walls, Steve readies his shield. “Get behind me,” he says to me. I immediately listen, trusting him implicitly. A guard lifts up the flap of the truck and barely has time to register what he’s seeing before Steve bashes his head with his shield, sending the guard stumbling backwards, out cold. Steve jumps out of the truck and I follow suit, hurrying after him as he runs toward the facility, doing my best to stay out of sight. We weave between the parked trucks and tanks to remain undetected, relying on the shadows of guards and the sound of their footsteps to guide us. My heart pounds in my chest, the adrenaline pumping and keeping me alert and ready for anything.

Once we’ve found our way into the building, the next step is to find Bucky and the other prisoners. Unfortunately, the direction we need to go is being guarded, causing us to have to improvise. Steve taps on the door, drawing the attention of the nearest guard. When he opens it to check the sound, Steve slams the door against his head and punches him in the face for good measure. I drag the unconscious body out of the doorway and we sneak inside, carefully closing the door behind us.

We sneak between what I can only describe as pillar-like containers, presumably holding chemicals of some sort, when we come across some blue, glowing cartridges. Steve examines one quickly before shrugging and slipping it into his pocket and moving on.

Finally, we find the prisoners, and I stealthily take out the guard while Steve grabs the keys to free the soldiers.

“Who are you supposed to be?” one asks him.

“I… I’m Captain America,” Steve responds after a second, almost unsure if he should use the name or not. I chuckle at the bewildered faces of the soldiers.

“I… beg your pardon?” another man says as we help the soldiers out of the cell, looking for Bucky in every face, to no avail. My stomach sinks.

“Is there anybody else?” Steve asks.

“We’re looking for Sergeant James Barnes,” I offer anxiously.

“There’s an isolation ward in the factory,” the second man tells us. “Nobody’s ever come back from it, though.”

Steve and I exchange a worried glance. “All right,” Steve responds. “The tree line is northwest, about eighty yards past the gate. Get out fast, and give ‘em hell. We’ll meet you guys in the clearing with anyone else we find.”

“Fuck their shit up, boys,” I tell them, nodding. Steve starts walking away, deeper into the facility.

“Wait!” another man calls out. We turn around. “You know what you’re doing?”

“Yeah,” Steve says. “I’ve knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times.”

I let out a bark of laughter and give the confused soldiers a quick salute. “We’ll be fine. You guys head out.”

The soldiers file out of the room as Steve and I head in the opposite direction. As we hurriedly make our way through the halls, we begin to hear sounds of muffled gunfire and explosions coming from outside.

“ _Agh!_ ” I press my hands to my temples, squeezing my eyes shut and focusing my attention back to my body.

“You good?” Steve asks.

I give him a thumbs up. “Fine. Let’s go get our jerk back.”

As we search for Bucky, we have to fight off more guards, stopping them from getting outside to fight off the newly-liberated soldiers. “Steve!” I yell, punching one guard in the face and making him fall back into another. “Behind you!”

Steve spins around and slams his shield into a guard who had been about to shoot him, giving me a grateful nod of thanks before jumping back into the fight. It’s pure chaos all around us as the guards are overrun, and the occasional panicked scientist runs past us. After we go through another doorway, Steve kicks a guard over the railing, sending him flying.

Entering the hallway, I spot a lone scientist at the end of the hall and immediately recognize Dr. Zola. My eyes narrow, and I’m about to take off after him as he runs away when I hear a quiet groan. It sounds like—

“ _Bucky,_ ” Steve breathes, running towards the direction of his voice. “Sam! In here!” I run after him to find Bucky strapped to a table in what looks to be an experimental laboratory. “Bucky?” Steve says. “Oh my God.” We begin to rip the straps off of Bucky to free him.

“Is that…?” Bucky starts.

“It’s me,” Steve says. “It’s Steve.”

“What, you thought we wouldn’t come get you?” I say.

“Sam?” Bucky says, squinting at me.

“Come on,” Steve says, pulling Bucky up by his arm and slinging it over his shoulder. I grab Bucky’s other arm and do the same.

“Steve,” Bucky says, smiling.

“I thought you were dead,” Steve tells him as we exit the room.

“I thought you were smaller,” Bucky retorts.

I chuckle. “Yeah, it takes a little getting used to,” I tell him.

“What happened to you?” he asks.

Steve shrugs. “We joined the army. What else?”

Bucky removes his arms from our shoulders to grab a gun from a downed guard. “Did it hurt?”

“A little,” Steve says.

“It wasn’t painful, not exactly,” I explain. “Just intense.”

Bucky looks me over. “Is it permanent?”

I give him a shrug. “Supposed to be. But it’s all experimental, so who knows?” I flinch instinctively as an explosion goes off below us. “Shit!”

“Come on, this way!” Steve leads us up the metal stairs to a higher area where a metal bridge connects to the other side of the room.

“Ah, Captain America!” On the other side of the bridge stands Johann Schmidt and Dr. Zola. Schmidt has his arms out in greeting, walking slowly towards us. Steve moves forward to meet him while I stay back with Bucky. “How exciting! I’m a great fan of your films! So Dr. Erskine managed it after all. Not exactly an improvement, but still impressive.”

Steve slams his fist into Schmidt’s face. “You’ve got no idea.”

Schmidt glares at Steve, smirking. “Haven’t I?” He throws a punch at Steve, who blocks it with his shield, where Schmidt’s fist leaves a sizable dent. Schmidt punches again, knocking Steve backward and sending his pistol flying off the edge. Steve kicks Schmidt back. Behind them, Dr. Zola throws a lever, retracting the bridge and separating the two.

Schmidt stands again. “No matter what lies Dr. Erskine may have told you, I was his greatest success!” He slowly peels off his face to reveal the red skull underneath.

“Ew.” I shudder involuntarily.

“You, ah... you don’t have one of those, do you?” Bucky asks me.

I shake my head. “No, sir, we do not.”

“You are deluded, Captain!” Schmidt continues. “You pretend to be a simple soldier, but in reality you are just afraid to admit we have left humanity behind.” Schmidt and Zola step into the elevator behind them. “Unlike you, I embrace it proudly and without fear!”

“Then why are you running?” Steve challenges him, but the elevator doors close before he answers.

Another explosion almost knocks me off of my feet, but Bucky reaches out to steady me. I give him a nod in thanks.

Steve points to a support beam above our heads. “Come, let’s go!” he commands. “Up!” The three of us scramble up the steps as the fire blazes all around us. “One at at time,” Steve says, gesturing for Bucky to go first. When he’s halfway across, the bean groans ominously, and Bucky has just enough time to jump for the railing before it gives way beneath his feet, crashing to the ground below.

Bucky turns back to us, panic written all over his face. “There’s gotta be a rope or something!”

“Just go!” Steve tells him as I look around, frantically searching for an idea. “Get out of here!”

“ _No! Not without you!_ ”

Steve’s eyes lock onto the broken railing in front of us, and he bends it out of the way. “We gotta jump,” he tells me. “On the count of three.”

I nod. “One.”

“Two.”

“ _Three!_ ”

We each launch ourselves over the drop in front of us, but my foot gets caught in one of the grates on the floor. I have barely enough time to shout as I fall.

Searing pain.

Then nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't freak out, our story is far from over!


End file.
